Women & Image
Tuesday July 6th - 7pm
Royal Canadian Legion Branch 56 Pleasantville, 66 The Boulevard
Free in-person admission by pre-registration
Also streaming via Facebook Live
In homage to the original Ladies' Reading Room that was founded as a haven for women's opinions, the Ladies' Reading Room evenings will be held on the first Tuesday of each month from May-November 2021.
Each month features a theme that was relevant to the struggle for women's rights in both 1921 and 2021. For our July evening, the theme is Women & Image.
The event will happen live and free of admission charge for registered guests, who may register to attend on a first-come, first served basis. Parking is also free.
The evening begins in 1921 with a new short play inspired by the evening's theme:
HEARTY AT EIGHTY
Written by Elizabeth Hicks
Directed by Leahdawn Helena
Performed by Petrina Bromley
We conclude in 2021 with a live panel discussion on the evening's theme:
Women & Image - a 2021 Panel Discussion
Moderated by Andreae Callanan, with guest speakers:
Tea will served in both period-appropriate and environmentally-sustainable china cups to all.
Important COVID-19 Info:
These events will be run in strict adherence to public health guidelines and regulations. The venue is large and well-ventilated. Audience members will be grouped in bubbles at tables that maintain social distancing. Masks may only be removed while seated.
Accessibility:
This second floor venue is accessible via an exterior ramp up to the side entrance of the Legion Ballroom, which is located on the second floor. Please connect with us at [email protected] or 709-743-7287 to advise if you would like to utilize the ramp and/or if you require any assistance.
Each month features a theme that was relevant to the struggle for women's rights in both 1921 and 2021. For our July evening, the theme is Women & Image.
The event will happen live and free of admission charge for registered guests, who may register to attend on a first-come, first served basis. Parking is also free.
The evening begins in 1921 with a new short play inspired by the evening's theme:
HEARTY AT EIGHTY
Written by Elizabeth Hicks
Directed by Leahdawn Helena
Performed by Petrina Bromley
We conclude in 2021 with a live panel discussion on the evening's theme:
Women & Image - a 2021 Panel Discussion
Moderated by Andreae Callanan, with guest speakers:
- Writer and researcher, Jenny Higgins
- Local entrepreneur and dancer, Stephanie Moyst
- Daze Jefferies, multi-disciplinary artist, poet, and researcher
- Journalist and editor, Elizabeth Whitten
Tea will served in both period-appropriate and environmentally-sustainable china cups to all.
Important COVID-19 Info:
These events will be run in strict adherence to public health guidelines and regulations. The venue is large and well-ventilated. Audience members will be grouped in bubbles at tables that maintain social distancing. Masks may only be removed while seated.
Accessibility:
This second floor venue is accessible via an exterior ramp up to the side entrance of the Legion Ballroom, which is located on the second floor. Please connect with us at [email protected] or 709-743-7287 to advise if you would like to utilize the ramp and/or if you require any assistance.
Production Community

Playwright - Elizabeth Hicks
Elizabeth Hicks is an actor, writer, sketch comedian, and filmmaker based in St. John’s, Newfoundland. She and her work have been featured at the St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival, Nickel Independent Film Festival, St. John’s Shorts, and sketch comedy festivals in New York City, Chicago, and Toronto. As a playwright, she has worked with Artistic Fraud (The Other Side of This, 2020) and Persistence Theatre (Votes for Women 100, upcoming). Elizabeth’s first play Twelve Nasty Women was selected for the Women’s Work Festival in 2019. Her short film BOUNCE was selected for NIFCO/Telefilm’s Picture Start program and is currently in development. Elizabeth writes and performs regularly with sketch comedy troupes Mom’s Girls (The Ho Ho Ho Christmas Show, I’m Just a Girl, and Mom’s Girls Gone Wild) and Halfhandsome (Almost Baymous). As an actor, she has worked for many theatre companies in the province including Resource Centre for the Arts, Rising Tide Theatre, Perchance Theatre, Power Productions, and Mindless Theatrics/30for60.
Elizabeth Hicks is an actor, writer, sketch comedian, and filmmaker based in St. John’s, Newfoundland. She and her work have been featured at the St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival, Nickel Independent Film Festival, St. John’s Shorts, and sketch comedy festivals in New York City, Chicago, and Toronto. As a playwright, she has worked with Artistic Fraud (The Other Side of This, 2020) and Persistence Theatre (Votes for Women 100, upcoming). Elizabeth’s first play Twelve Nasty Women was selected for the Women’s Work Festival in 2019. Her short film BOUNCE was selected for NIFCO/Telefilm’s Picture Start program and is currently in development. Elizabeth writes and performs regularly with sketch comedy troupes Mom’s Girls (The Ho Ho Ho Christmas Show, I’m Just a Girl, and Mom’s Girls Gone Wild) and Halfhandsome (Almost Baymous). As an actor, she has worked for many theatre companies in the province including Resource Centre for the Arts, Rising Tide Theatre, Perchance Theatre, Power Productions, and Mindless Theatrics/30for60.

Director - Leahdawn Helena
Born and raised on the west coast of Newfoundland, Leahdawn (she/they/nekm) is a Two-Spirit member of Tkaqmkuk Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nations. She is a writer and theatre artist, earning both her B.A. in Socio-Cultural Studies (2011) and her B.F.A in Theatre (2018) from Memorial University of Newfoundland, Grenfell Campus. She has been involved in community and professional theatre since her late teens, performing on stage and screen with various companies (Off Broadway Players, Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador, CNA Digital Film-making), and founding Corner Brook outdoor Shakespeare troupe, The Swan Players (2014-19). She received the NL Arts and Letters Award in 2020 for her screenplay, Ruthless, which she hopes to produce in the near future. She lives in St John’s with her husband, Chris, their cat, Montgomery, and their dog, Chevrolet Chase. Her favourite book, film, and hue are The Colour Purple.
Born and raised on the west coast of Newfoundland, Leahdawn (she/they/nekm) is a Two-Spirit member of Tkaqmkuk Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nations. She is a writer and theatre artist, earning both her B.A. in Socio-Cultural Studies (2011) and her B.F.A in Theatre (2018) from Memorial University of Newfoundland, Grenfell Campus. She has been involved in community and professional theatre since her late teens, performing on stage and screen with various companies (Off Broadway Players, Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador, CNA Digital Film-making), and founding Corner Brook outdoor Shakespeare troupe, The Swan Players (2014-19). She received the NL Arts and Letters Award in 2020 for her screenplay, Ruthless, which she hopes to produce in the near future. She lives in St John’s with her husband, Chris, their cat, Montgomery, and their dog, Chevrolet Chase. Her favourite book, film, and hue are The Colour Purple.

Performer - Petrina Bromley
Petrina Bromley is an actor, singer, director, writer and composer from St. John’s, NL. She originated the role of ‘Bonnie Harris’ in the Tony nominated musical Come From Away, and continues with the show on Broadway. She made her Stratford Festival debut as ‘Rosalind’ in As You Like It, and was a member of The National Arts Centre, English Theatre Ensemble.
Petrina was last seen locally in WHAT HANGS IN THE BALANCE, a one person show she wrote and recorded live for broadcast on Broadway.com as part of PerSiStence Theatre’s “It’s Women’s Play” series.
Petrina Bromley is an actor, singer, director, writer and composer from St. John’s, NL. She originated the role of ‘Bonnie Harris’ in the Tony nominated musical Come From Away, and continues with the show on Broadway. She made her Stratford Festival debut as ‘Rosalind’ in As You Like It, and was a member of The National Arts Centre, English Theatre Ensemble.
Petrina was last seen locally in WHAT HANGS IN THE BALANCE, a one person show she wrote and recorded live for broadcast on Broadway.com as part of PerSiStence Theatre’s “It’s Women’s Play” series.

Costume Designer - Lisa Machin
Lisa Machin is a costume designer, breakdown artist, set costumer/dresser for film, television and theatre. You can see her work on Frontier Seasons 1-3, Caught, Braven, and Black Conflux (to mention just a few). Most recently she designed the period costumes for the short film, Mummering Legends and worked as the costume assistant on SyFy's series SurrealEstate where she was responsible for costume breakdown and collaborated with spfx makeup, prosthetics, and the spfx team in the creation of the paranormal characters and bringing them to life on set.
Lisa Machin is a costume designer, breakdown artist, set costumer/dresser for film, television and theatre. You can see her work on Frontier Seasons 1-3, Caught, Braven, and Black Conflux (to mention just a few). Most recently she designed the period costumes for the short film, Mummering Legends and worked as the costume assistant on SyFy's series SurrealEstate where she was responsible for costume breakdown and collaborated with spfx makeup, prosthetics, and the spfx team in the creation of the paranormal characters and bringing them to life on set.
Panel

Moderator - Andreae Callanan
Andreae Callanan is a PhD student at Memorial University and the author of The Debt (Biblioasis, 2021). She holds a Vanier Canada Doctoral Scholarship and is a Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation scholar, and in 2020 she was granted the Cox & Palmer SPARKS Creative Writing Award. Andreae lives in St. John’s with her husband Mark and their four children.
Andreae Callanan is a PhD student at Memorial University and the author of The Debt (Biblioasis, 2021). She holds a Vanier Canada Doctoral Scholarship and is a Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation scholar, and in 2020 she was granted the Cox & Palmer SPARKS Creative Writing Award. Andreae lives in St. John’s with her husband Mark and their four children.

Panelist - Stephanie Moyst
Stephanie has spent her whole life in the creative arts. She has danced since the age of 4, operated her own studio for 20 years and has produced, performed and choreographed from here to Alberta. She also does portrait photography, furniture restoration and decorative painting. She is a mother of 3 and grandmother to her granddaughter Jolene. Currently Stephanie is the Catering Sales Manager at the Delta Hotel and is an ambassador for the Mount Pearl & Paradise Chamber of Commerce. Tonight’s topic has surrounded all aspects of Stephanie’s life, as a dancer, dance instructor, photographer, mother and now grandmother.
Stephanie has spent her whole life in the creative arts. She has danced since the age of 4, operated her own studio for 20 years and has produced, performed and choreographed from here to Alberta. She also does portrait photography, furniture restoration and decorative painting. She is a mother of 3 and grandmother to her granddaughter Jolene. Currently Stephanie is the Catering Sales Manager at the Delta Hotel and is an ambassador for the Mount Pearl & Paradise Chamber of Commerce. Tonight’s topic has surrounded all aspects of Stephanie’s life, as a dancer, dance instructor, photographer, mother and now grandmother.

Panelist - Daze Jefferies
Daze Jefferies (@oceanleaving) is a white settler artist and writer from the Bay of Exploits on Newfoundland’s North East coast. Deeply informed by geographies and histories of trans women (and) sex workers in Atlantic Canada, her research-creation and multidisciplinary projects have been exhibited at Eastern Edge, The Rooms, and Cape Breton University Art Gallery, as well as performed widely at festivals, theatres, and house shows in St. John’s – including HOLD FAST, Lawnya Vawnya, FemFest, and Out of Earshot. Co-author of Autoethnography and Feminist Theory at the Water’s Edge: Unsettled Islands (2018), she has recent publications in Riddle Fence, Understorey, HELD, The Dalhousie Review, and Arc.
Daze Jefferies (@oceanleaving) is a white settler artist and writer from the Bay of Exploits on Newfoundland’s North East coast. Deeply informed by geographies and histories of trans women (and) sex workers in Atlantic Canada, her research-creation and multidisciplinary projects have been exhibited at Eastern Edge, The Rooms, and Cape Breton University Art Gallery, as well as performed widely at festivals, theatres, and house shows in St. John’s – including HOLD FAST, Lawnya Vawnya, FemFest, and Out of Earshot. Co-author of Autoethnography and Feminist Theory at the Water’s Edge: Unsettled Islands (2018), she has recent publications in Riddle Fence, Understorey, HELD, The Dalhousie Review, and Arc.

Panelist - Jenny Higgins
Jenny Higgins is a writer and researcher who works in print and film. She is the winner of a Democracy 250 Atlantic Book Award for Historical Writing and a Newfoundland and Labrador Book Award for Nonfiction. In 2019, Jenny published her first children’s book, Agnes Ayre’s ABCs of Amazing Women, which focuses on the Newfoundland suffrage movement. She has also created several short documentaries about women’s history for the Maritime History Archive’s Heritage Website (heritage.nl.ca).
Jenny Higgins is a writer and researcher who works in print and film. She is the winner of a Democracy 250 Atlantic Book Award for Historical Writing and a Newfoundland and Labrador Book Award for Nonfiction. In 2019, Jenny published her first children’s book, Agnes Ayre’s ABCs of Amazing Women, which focuses on the Newfoundland suffrage movement. She has also created several short documentaries about women’s history for the Maritime History Archive’s Heritage Website (heritage.nl.ca).

Panelist - Elizabeth Whitten
Elizabeth Whitten is a journalist who writes for a business publication where she writes about the tech sector and health care. She initially intended to get her PhD but ended up in journalism instead, but still loves research. She has a masters in Anthropology from Memorial University, where she wrote her thesis on the discrimination female athletes face and the history of sex testing. At the moment she’s writing a book about Dr. Cluny Macpherson, the Newfoundland doctor who invented the gas mask in the First World War.
Elizabeth Whitten is a journalist who writes for a business publication where she writes about the tech sector and health care. She initially intended to get her PhD but ended up in journalism instead, but still loves research. She has a masters in Anthropology from Memorial University, where she wrote her thesis on the discrimination female athletes face and the history of sex testing. At the moment she’s writing a book about Dr. Cluny Macpherson, the Newfoundland doctor who invented the gas mask in the First World War.